


Choice of Fashion

by Ms_Julius



Category: The Simpsons
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 07:43:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14732811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_Julius/pseuds/Ms_Julius
Summary: While shopping, Smithers comes across a pair of ugly, bright blue hoodies.An idea is born.





	Choice of Fashion

**Author's Note:**

> An adorable picture from @eronposts was the initiator of this fic.  
> Check their Tumblr out, you won't be disappointed!  
> https://eronposts.tumblr.com/

“So when I saw these, I thought we could wear them together.”

The wide, toothy smile on Waylon’s face sent a violent flutter through Burns’ chest, making it rather difficult for him to maintain an eye contact with the man. Instead he chose to lower his gaze to the bright blue set of hoodies currently laid out on top of the kitchen counter, trying to come up with a polite way to express his distaste with the colorful design.

He couldn’t think of any.

They looked comfortable to wear, he gave them that much credit, but he just could not stand the vivid shade of turquoise Waylon had went with. He was supposed to have bought them a pair of sweaters each, since they’d intended to start exercising more outside now that the weather was turning up nicely.

But looking at the abomination lying in front of him, he was beginning to have second thoughts.

“Waylon, might I ask you where these came from?”

Looking a bit puzzled, the younger man shrugged and pulled out a receipt from his back pocket. “A nice little shop sells them down the street, next to the music store.” A faint blush rose up to his cheeks, and he let out a nervous chuckle. “They had ‘2 in the price of 1’ offer today.”

“Aha.” That would explain part of it. “And did they happen to have any other... models in store?”

A small smile made its way to Waylon’s lips, his eyes sparkling as he lifted his shoulders again, appearing equally amused and confused by his partner’s words.

“I didn’t check.” An eyebrow raised, he tilted his head and took a look at the clothes himself. “Why? Is there something wrong with these ones?”

“No, heavens no”, Burns hurried on, lifting his hands out in emphasis. “These will do... just fine.”

He was trying, he really was. After everything Waylon constantly had to go through just for him, Burns had made it his solemn goal to improve in a field of interacting with people. Especially with Waylon, since their relationship was, quite literally, the anchor in his life, the only permanent fracture of stability he had. So, little by little, he had taught himself to act more naturally around the man, consciously dropping parts of his walls in order to make life easier for Waylon. It wasn’t noticeable as of yet, he knew that, but deep inside he cherished a vain hope that his efforts would show results at the end.

When his eyes met with Waylon’s gleaming ones, he forced a tiny smile on his own lips, refusing to let the other man down. “They seem rather dandy, dear.”

It was worth of the slight embarrassment of using the pet name when he saw the happy grin extend, Waylon surging forward to press a light kiss on his nose before reaching down to grab a hold of one of the hoodies.

“We should try them out then.”

“Now?” A cold shiver ran through Burns and it took a lot to keep his face neutral as he watched Waylon starting to pull the sweater over his head. “But shouldn’t we at least wash them first?” He was making excuses now, but he couldn’t stop a small grimace from appeared as he frowned, glancing suspiciously at the lonely blue clothing still remaining on the counter. “Who knows what a gum-chewing low-life might have tried them on?”

A genuine laughter was not the answer he was looking for, and after seeing the way Waylon was looking at him fondly, he knew the his argument had little to no effect. The man knew him too well, and sometimes Burns suspected that all the secrets he thought he had left were in fact uncovered by Waylon, and the man was merely amusing him by pretending oblivious.

“Since we still have our undershirts beneath them, I don’t think we’ll have a problem.”

Smug as ever, it seemed. Seeing no way out anymore, Burns let out a silent huff, submitting to his fate as he snatched the hoodie and got dressed. There were no mirrors in the kitchen, but the reflection of the windows was bright enough for him to get a good look at his new outfit.

It could have been worse, he supposed. The color did pop out and it might have been a bit too large for him (his lanky frame was hardly designed for these types of clothes in the first place), but all and all, he could tolerate it.

He would tolerate it. Because at that moment, Waylon turned around, and the sweet grin directed just for him made it certain that he would step outside in this if it meant that the smile might stay a minute longer.

He tried to give a shaky smirk himself, but it came out more as a uncertain sneer.

“It... it’s a little large.”

Taking a few shorts leaps forward, Waylon was standing before him, tugging at the sleeves and the hem of the hoodie. “It’s supposed to be loose. But I guess you’re right, I should have bought you a size or two smaller one.”

The thoughtfulness in the ever so soft voice urged Burns’ to shake his head and he managed to offer a more sincere smile this time around. “It will suffice, Waylon.” His eyes slipped to the keychain already hanging in Waylon’s other hand. “So... Shall we go?”

The gentle grey eyes sparkled a bit brighter at his question, although there was a slight glem in them that Burns was unable to interpret.

“Sure, let us go.” He moved to open the small door at their left, an exit build mainly for easier transfer of cooking supplies and for an emergencies. However, they’d taken it to a frequent use after their exercise routine had been established since it was located to the eastern part of the manor, providing a useful shortcut to the public park down below the hill. It would allow them a brief moment of solitude before it lead them to the running track, and during their first mutual walks, Smithers had noticed what a calming effect it had to Burns. The man would be far more relaxed if they took this route, rather than walking all the way around the lands surrounding the estate.

Usually there were no other people on this isolated little path, but today proved to be the exception confirming the rule. After just a few minutes of silent strolling, a young couple in their twenties jogged past them. Immediately, Smithers could feel the tension rising beside him, and he had to resist the urge to reach out and take Monty’s hand in his. He had attempted it before, but the reaction from the older man had put a stop to that. Monty had actually jumped then, quickly snatching his hand back with a cold glare aimed at Smithers’ eyes, and even though he hadn’t said anything, Smithers knew not to indulge again. They had touched of the subject a few times after that, but he had never received a clear explanation for the other man’s behavior.

He had taken his best guesses, given that he was more than familiar with his partner’s other quirks. It was possible that Monty simply did not enjoy public displays of affection, which was understandable in itself. Smithers would never cross that line, even if the temptation was sometimes great.

But the other reason, the one he suspected might be the correct one, was that Monty felt ashamed. And Smithers could respect that, to a certain extend. He knew what the times had been like when Monty had been young, and how hard it must have been to suppress a vital part of his personality in fear of being found out. He had felt that same dread himself. He couldn’t even imagine what it must have been like when you were an only son of a rich entrepreneur, and were expected to maintain the honour and bloodline of the family.

At some point he’d have to step in, and despite his desire to allow Monty as much time and space as he required, Smithers wanted to show his affections openly. He had waited far too long not to. But he wouldn’t press the issue today, and instead settled on smiling encouragingly to his partner and lifting his hand in a friendly wave as the couple passed them.

A relieved breath caught his attention, and as he turned to look fully at Monty, he could see the tense shoulders relax and a wary smile appearing. Blue eyes which earlier were nailed to the ground, avoiding the gazes of the passing couple, were now aimed forward, scanning the scenery with calm curiosity. They did not leave the manor all too often, so the sight of careful joy caused by such a minor event was a rare one.

It made his heart fill with fondness.

“It goes better and better every time, don’t you think?”

Monty seemed startled by the sudden voice, his eyes widening before he glanced at his lover. There were a brief flash of something akin to proudness before he cleared his throat with blushed cheeks, eyes darting back to take a final look at the receding couple.

“I, uhh, would like to think so, yes.”

His fingers flew up to tangle with the strings of the hoodie, absentmindedly twirling them as they walked. The movement drew Smithers gaze to the other man’s delicate hands, and when he saw what Monty was doing, he could help but grin and chuckle to himself. To think that a mere moments ago, the hoodie had been a source of intense dislike, and now the man was practically twiddling with it. He had seen the fast glint of dislike flashing through Monty’s face when he had presented the hoodies, and he had known to expect it.

In fact, it was the main reason he had bought them in the first place.

His laugh had apparently been a bit louder than he had anticipated, since it caused Monty to stop at once.

“What is so funny, Waylon?”

Lifting his hand slightly to run it through his hair, Smithers looked at his side with an apologetic smirk. “I’m just so glad you agreed to wear that.”

Monty’s eyes grew even more suspicious at that. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when I went to the store, I came up with an idea.” His grin faltered, he was not sure if revealing this now would turn out to be a good call. “I sought out the brightest, most grisly hoodies I could find, and decided to see if you’d be willing to wear one for me.”

The quietness following his words was thick enough to be cut. Smithers didn’t dare to look directly at the other man, so he kept his eyes on the path, picking up speed as they moved again, this time Monty trailing behind him. They didn’t talk for a while, and just as the silence was starting to extend into a highly uncomfortable lengths, Monty spoke out.

“When I saw your face as I pulled this on, there was never a chance for me to refuse.”

Smithers spun around just in time to see the blush creeping up on Monty’s face, an adorable, defining tilt in his jaw betrayed by the shy look in his eyes. Something warm and tender broke out in Smithers’ chest. And for the first time, he chose to ignore the fact that they were currently out in open, and stepped right inside of Monty’s personal space, coming nose to nose with his lover. Quickly glancing around to make sure they were indeed still the only people on the track, he pressed his hands on the narrow hips, lightly tugging the other man closer until he was able to plant a small kiss on the partly opened lips. Hearing the small gasp against his mouth made butterflies fly in his stomach, and lured out a satisfied smile he had tried to hide.

When he pulled back, he was happy to see that Monty had not stepped away and was still standing relatively close to him. Their hands were still touching, and for Smithers, that was a victory in its own right. For him, any small concession from Montgomery’s part was a triumph, and he had come to adore little moments like this, the genuine slashes of emotion going on between them. So very rarely he got an opportunity to enjoy them in public.

With reluctance, he tore his eyes away from their joined hands and looked up to Monty’s eyes. There was a shimmer of doubt swimming deep in them, but it was certainly beginning to fade the longer their bodies remained so closely together.

Slowly, they turned to move once more. The sun had already risen further up in the sky, and the light breeze felt like a welcoming caress as they began to make their way to the lake spreading at small distance away. There were more people roaming around them now, their eyes glancing at the two men occasionally.

And yet, their fingers stayed intertwined.

 

 

©https://eronposts.tumblr.com/ , picture posted with a permission from the artist.


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